Boys from the Blackstuff Complete 3-Disc DVD Box Set

Boys from the Blackstuff Complete 3-Disc DVD Box Set

A raw and deeply human portrait of unemployment, pride and survival in 1980s Britain, written with honesty, anger and an unforgettable understanding of the people caught within it.

Some treasures at Kate's Treasures15 are chosen because they are beautiful or useful. Others are here because they belonged to my dad and formed part of a collection shaped by his genuine love of cinema, unforgettable performances and the craft of filmmaking.

Dad was an actor and scriptwriter who understood the importance of dialogue that sounded lived rather than written and performances that revealed what people could not always say aloud. His collection reflected a lifelong appreciation for socially conscious drama, exceptional acting and stories that gave dignity and complexity to lives too easily ignored.

Written by Alan Bleasdale, Boys from the Blackstuff follows a group of former tarmac workers struggling to survive amid unemployment, poverty and disappearing opportunities in Liverpool during the early 1980s.

The men once worked together laying roads, but the security and purpose that employment gave them have vanished. Each attempts to cope differently with a system that demands they keep looking for work while offering them little realistic hope of finding it.

Bernard Hill gives an extraordinary performance as Yosser Hughes, a proud and increasingly desperate father whose identity begins collapsing as he loses his job, his confidence and control over his family life.

Yosser’s repeated plea of “Gizza job” became one of British television’s most recognisable lines, but the character is far more than a catchphrase. His anger, humour and vulnerability reveal the devastating psychological effect of being treated as though one’s skills and existence no longer have value.

Michael Angelis, Tom Georgeson, Alan Igbon and Peter Kerrigan portray men facing their own battles with money, authority, masculinity and self-respect, while Julie Walters brings warmth and emotional force to Angie, whose life is shaped by the same pressures surrounding the men.

Bleasdale’s writing combines bleak social reality with humour that grows naturally from the characters and their relationships. The laughter never removes the hardship beneath it; instead, it shows how people hold on to companionship and identity when almost everything else has been taken away.

This complete three-disc collection also includes The Black Stuff, the original Play for Today drama that first introduced the characters before the acclaimed five-part series was created.

An essential addition for collectors of British television drama, Alan Bleasdale’s writing and performances that capture the personal cost of unemployment with compassion, humour and uncompromising honesty.

About This Complete BBC Drama Collection

Complete Drama Collection | 3 DVDs | Region 2 | Certificate 15

• Title: Boys from the Blackstuff
• Original Pilot: The Black Stuff
• Original Broadcast: 1980 and 1982
• Writer: Alan Bleasdale
• Directors: Jim Goddard and Philip Saville
• Cast: Bernard Hill, Michael Angelis, Tom Georgeson, Alan Igbon, Peter Kerrigan and Julie Walters
• Subtitles: English subtitles for the hard of hearing
• Language: English
• Genre: British social drama, character drama and classic BBC television
• Themes: Unemployment, poverty, working-class life, pride, identity, friendship and survival

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